The Past, The Present, The Wish
by CaptainKJ
Summary: House has a niece, and she comes to seek his help, but is there something else behind her 16 year old life? Set after "The Honeymoon". Chapter Two up! Jane's got him to open up, but someone will spoil the mood...(it's not House)
1. House's Niece or The Godsend

House M.D. The Past, The Present, The Wish

Author's Note: I don't know much of House M.D., I've only seen the last few episodes due to my high school life. I don't know if House has siblings or anything; so don't yell at me for getting his stuff wrong. This is my first attempt at a House fanfic. Hope you like it.

Chapter One

Uncle Gregg and his Niece

The cab dropped me off in front of a drab house. It was white, and a story high, and the windows were draped in some kind of ugly color. I got out, paid the cab driver, and then went up the walkway to the white door with the brass doorknob and the knocker. The suitcase rolled next to me. I raised my hand up when the door opened and the shoddily dressed man bumped into me. I fell on my butt and looked up. He looked down and stared at me.

"And who are you?"

"Someone who needs help getting up."

He put his hand out, and I grabbed it and pulled myself up. "Now that we're face to face, I'm your niece, Jane."

"Niece? I have no niece."

I reached into my lint-filled pocket and pulled out a crumpled worn picture. "Is this you?"

He snatched it and peered close. His blue eyes widened as he noticed himself. "Oh, I remember now. You're the daughter of my estranged sister. How was the reunion?"

"My mom cut you out of all of her pictures. But never mind that." I picked up my suitcase. "I came here to get help."

"Help?"

"Yes."

"What kind of help?" He looked at his watch. "Oh man, Cuddy's going to kill me," he said quietly.

"My mom's dying."

He looked at me. "And you came all the way from…"

"New York City. Took a night flight just to get here."

"Ah, yes. Well, good for her, she's doing what God out there wants us to do. Die." He limped down to where his car was. I stared at him, then followed her and put my hand on the handle of the door.

"You're a doctor. Don't you care? She's your sister!"

He looked at me. "My _estranged_ sister. I don't think she'd appreciate it if I helped her."

"What if I was dying?"

"I haven't even seen you since you were 6. I don't think you even remember my name!" He threw me off the car. "Get in."

"Hey-What?" Did he just say get in? I looked at the coupe, then opened the door, pushed back the driver's seat, and got into the back. He got into the car, and closed the door. He put the cane on the passenger seat, and I put my suitcase next to me.

"A thanks would be appropriate right now, seeing that you barged into my life like this."

I leaned forward. "Thank you, Uncle Gregg."

"At least you know my name. Where's your mother?"

* * *

My uncle handed me a slip of paper. "Get me some Vicodin, would you?"

"I'm 16. Would they dispense to a minor?" I asked smoothly.

He looked at me, then snatched the paper from my hand and gave it to an Australian-sounding doctor. "Chase, go get me some Vicodin, would you?"

"Dr. House, I don't-"

He gave him a glare, and he went off to get the pills. House looked at me, then rapped my head with his cane. "Don't embarrass me, okay?"

"I won't say a word."

"Don't you have some summer work, Jane?"

"No."

Uncle Gregg sighed. He opened the glass door to his office and let me in. The two doctors looked up from their seats.

"This is my niece Jane." He limped to the white board, where a name- Emily Harris- was written on the board; along some weird words I didn't know how to read. I just sat there and checked my email on the computer. They were talking when Uncle Gregg addressed me.

"You're a girl. What does someone who has a late period have?"

I looked at him. "Are you dumb or just embarrassed to say it?"

Chase came in with a white bottle, and House snatched it and popped a few pills in. "There you go. No, I'm not embarrassed, I just want to know if you got my brains."

"Pregnancy." I rolled my eyes. "I obviously didn't get my brains from you, if you're that bashful."

"Ooh. Someone's nailed you, House," Chase said. He winked at me, and I blushed.

"Stop seducing her. She probably has a boyfriend already."

"Oh no," I said. "He's dead already. Had porphryia."

"Did he come at night and suck out your blood with his fangs?" My uncle retorted.

"No…some people played a prank on him after school one day. I found him dead in the hallway. He…he…he died with a smile on his face." I stood up and grabbed my purse and went off to go get myself something to eat.

* * *

I put the coins in and chose some kettle chips when Uncle Gregg came around.

"Look, Jane, I'm sorry…"

I looked at him. "When's my mother coming?"

"Tomorrow."

I grabbed the chips and looked at him as I opened them. "I forgive you. It's in your nature to be like that. And sometimes he did dress up like a vampire, black shirt, black pants, sunglasses…anything to keep from the sun."

"Is that why they played a prank?"

I didn't say anything and offered him the bag of chips. He took one and looked at it for a moment, then popped it in his mouth. I smiled.

* * *

"Oh my god, is that what you eat?" I stared at him.

"I can't cook. Bum leg."

I sighed and went into his fridge. Microwave dinners. "Get your keys."

"You're not my boss."

"Well, you're my guardian now. Get your keys." I pointed to the door. "Now."

After ten minutes, I finally got him to get to his car and go down to the supermarket. It was empty, thank god, and I went through the aisles getting things while my uncle went to the medicine aisles and looked for something.

"Uncle Gregg?"

He turned, and was holding a box of pills. "Yes?"

"I'm done."

"You sound like a 12 year old."

"You act like a 8 year old. Let's go."


	2. The Setback

Chapter Two

The Setback or Picture-Perfect past

I put down the plate of vegetables and saw my uncle wince.

"I hate-"

"You're going to eat them." I sat down and twirled my noodles and started eating.

"But I don't wanna," he whined.

I put some on his plate, and he sighed. "Well, all right."

And he stood up and dumped it in the trash. "No offense, but I really don't like vegetables."

"My food…"

He grabbed some more noodles from the pot. "It's okay."

I sighed and took the vegetables and ate it all.

"Mmm, so what happened in ten years?"

"I grew."

"Ouch." He smiled. "Besides that."

"Had a boyfriend, diseased. Mother miscarried." I sipped my tea. "Boyfriend's dead, mother's dying, I'm here. That's about it. What about you?"

"Oh, got a girlfriend, had an infarction, died, resuscitated, got doped on painkillers, here now with some bratty New York City niece. That's about it."

"So you don't remember anything before 10 years ago?"

"I don't like dwelling in the past."

"Oh."

We then ate in silence, but I thought I got through to him. He seemed like he was opening up.

* * *

I pulled out the envelope of pictures. The envelope and the pictures inside were creased a lot, and I took the stack of pictures out and flipped through them. 10 years ago, there was a family reunion, and he came, all happy and smiling. 10 years later, everybody never even thought of him.

"What's that?" He was munching on a sandwich. I looked up.

"Pictures. Or have you forgotten?"

"I'm not that dumb." He snatched (he loves doing that) up the pictures and flipped through them, eating his sandwich. "They're old. Have you considered getting new ones?"

"No. And are you testy because your leg's hurting?"

He looked at me. "It's all about the leg now. Give the cripple some credit, will you?" He put them down and walked to the desk and sat down in the chair. "I examined your mother."

"And?"

"She's pregnant."

I looked at him. "But…that's bad."

"Why?"

"You don't remember? She miscarried, had a hemorrhage. How far is she?"

"Oh, yes," He said quietly. "I remember now. It's in her history, which none of you three", he said to the entering ducklings, "informed me of."

"Ah, sorry, Dr. House, we were busy with her," Foreman said. "Apparently she also has internal bleeding and a ruptured-"

"Internal bleeding from what? Are you saying that she went to the hospital and they never bothered to check that she was bleeding? Idiots!" He stood up and limped out. The three looked at me, and I shrugged.

"He wasn't like this 10 years ago," I said quietly.

* * *

"Here."

He handed me something from the machines, and I looked at it warily. "It's safe. Nothing bad."

I took it from him and opened it up and started munching. "How is she?"

"Undergoing surgery for the internal bleeding. I have to talk to you."

"Um, okay."

He sat down next to me and looked down. Then he looked at me and quietly asked, "What happened that sent her to the hospital."

"It's a long story."

"Okay, well, tell me how she got internal bleeding."

"Do you really want to know?"

"If you want to save her life, tell me."

"Dr. House, please report to Dr. Cuddy's office," the speakers blared. He cursed then looked at me.

"Tell me later…no, better yet, come with me."

I followed, and saw through the window of her office…

My dad.

* * *

"House, this is Edward Smith."

House shook hands. I sat in the back, watching them.

"Dr. House, this man demands the custody of his wife and his daughter."

"I'm trying to save her life. Or does that not count in your neat equation to fire me?"

"Look, Dr. House," my dad said angrily, "My daughter's one not to be trusted."

"Everybody lies. It's that sometimes people lie a bit more." He stood up. "She has internal bleeding and signs of rough handling by someone." He pointed the cane in his chest. "What I say goes. She's staying here until she gets better."

My dad stood up and punched him in the face. House crumpled to the floor, but laughed.

"I bet your daughter punches harder."

"Well, at least let me take her back."

"You didn't have to punch me to do that. Okay, if you want to, take her back."

My dad smiled. "Okay." He took my arm and dragged me out, muttering, "I'm going to shut that fucking mouth of yours" at me.

I turned around, and I saw House staring at me, but with something in his eyes I couldn't place.


End file.
